The Feds have decided to forego putting real pressure on states to phase out HOUSSE routes for veteran teachers. They would have faced strong opposition from chief state school officers, other state-level agencies, and unions alike. We've talked about how these routes need serious fixing about ten thousand times, so we'll spare you the details--but we hope the Feds are putting off this much-needed battle for the upcoming NCLB reauthorization rather than abandoning it.